1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to golf clubs of the iron type. The present invention relates specifically to golf club irons having a ball impact distance reaction spectrum of greater consistency across the striking face of the club.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In the game of golf there are basically two kinds of clubs when excluding the putter. The first kind is drivers which are used to hit the ball as far as possible. These clubs are also refered to as "woods". The second kind of club is the controlled distance club which is used to hit the ball a given, or specific amount of distance dictated by the position of the ball on the course. These kind of clubs, including the wedges and the five wood, are referred to herein as "irons".
As anyone with a passing experience in golf will know, it is the consistency of the golfer's "short game" and his use of the controlled distance clubs, that is the key to better play, low scores, and more enjoyable sport.
In the art of golf club construction much attention has been paid to increasing the distance of the ball flight when it is struck, referred to herein as "distance reaction", squarely. This might be colloquially refered to as "hot rodding the sweet spot". This is not the subject of the present invention.
As seen in FIG. 1, the striking face 21 of a known golf club 23 has a useful area defined by a center area 25, a high area 27, a low area 29, a toe area 31 and a heel area 33. These are general designations, the general areas do not have specific boundaries. Within the center area lies the sweet spot 35 which is the center of gravity of the head. A ball hit from this spot will travel farther than an off center hit, all other things being equal. The reader wishing to know more about the physics of golf will find voluminous literature available. As the point of contact with the ball moves away from the sweet spot 35 the distance reaction will decrease.
FIG. 2 illustrates this phenomenon by illustrating the distance reaction "face map" for typical numbers five and six golf irons. The distance reaction for each area of the club face is marked along the Y-axis with C being center, L low, Hg high, Hl heel, and T toe. Ball flight path variation is show as deviation on the X-axis. The typical iron has a substantially uniform stiffness over the striking face. It will be appreciated that, depending on where the striking face 21 contacts the ball, a distance reaction variation, or spectrum, of over fifteen yards may result. A ball may land over the green, on the green, or in a sand trap within this distance reaction spectrum.
Psychologically, a golfer will select his specific distance club assuming he will hit the ball on center and get maximum distance from his shot. Realistically, the average golfer would probably be better off assuming an off center hit and going down a club number, or "over clubbing", to get the same desired distance as from an on center hit with his higher numbered club. This is because the average nonprofessional golfer lacks the skill necessary to contact the sweet spot consistently. That is, he is more likely to hit off center than on center. However, his score still suffers when he hits the lower numbered club on center and the ball goes too far. This is why golf is always a challenge.
What is needed in the art is a golf club construction which has a more uniform, or predictable, distance reaction spectrum over the striking face of the specific distance clubs to enable the average amateur golfer to better improve his game. This is the object of the present invention.